How low can you go? Achieved blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes.

The benefits of controlling blood pressure to levels < 140/90 mm Hg are well established, but the risks and benefits of further reductions in blood pressure are less clear. A recent observational study using pooled data from 2 large randomized trials of renin-angiotensin system blockers suggested no added benefit and some increased risk of cardiovascular events with achieved blood pressures < 120 mm Hg systolic or 70 mm Hg diastolic. Caveats of observational studies notwithstanding, these results add to the ongoing controversy over the optimal blood pressure target for high-risk individuals.

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Author Christina Marie Wyatt Medicine, Nephrology